1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an end cap for a ball screw device, and more particularly to an end cap including an improved anchoring or securing structure or device for suitably anchoring or securing or retaining the end cap to the ball screw device and for preventing the end cap from being contacted or engaged with the elongated bolt or screw and for preventing the elongated bolt or screw from being scrapped or rubbed by the end cap.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical ball screw devices comprise a nut threaded onto an elongated bolt or screw and rotatable and movable or adjustable along the screw, one or more endless ball guiding passages formed in the ball screw device for slidably receiving ball bearing members, and one or more end caps or dust caps or deflectors attached onto the nut and rotatable or movable in concert with the nut relative to the elongated bolt or screw.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,128,199 to Yang et al. discloses one of the typical ball screw return systems comprising a nut engaged onto an elongated bolt or screw and rotatable or movable along the screw, one or more endless ball guiding passages formed in the ball screw device for slidably receiving ball bearing members and for guiding the nut to smoothly rotate or move relative to the elongated bolt or screw, and one or more end caps or dust caps or deflectors attached onto the nut and rotatable or movable in concert with the nut relative to the elongated bolt or screw for enclosing the end portions of the nut and for preventing the dust from entering into the slit or space between the nut and the elongated bolt or screw.
However, the end caps or dust caps or deflectors are attached onto the nut with hooks or clips or latches and may not be solidly and stably anchored or retained or positioned to the nut, and may have a good chance to be moved and contacted or engaged with the elongated bolt or screw such that the elongated bolt or screw may have a good chance to be scrapped or rubbed by the end cap and may be easily and quickly worn out after use.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,533,593 to Pan et al. discloses another typical ball screw device also comprising a nut engaged onto an elongated bolt or screw and rotatable or movable along the screw, a number of ball bearing members disposed or engaged between the nut and the elongated bolt or screw for guiding the nut to smoothly rotate or move relative to the elongated bolt or screw, and one or more end caps or dust caps or deflectors attached onto the nut and rotatable or movable in concert with the nut relative to the elongated bolt or screw for enclosing the end portions of the nut and for preventing the dust from entering into the slit or space between the nut and the elongated bolt or screw.
However, the end caps or dust caps or deflectors are attached onto the nut with hooks or clips and may not be solidly and stably anchored or retained or positioned to the nut, and may have a good chance to be moved and contacted or engaged with the elongated bolt or screw such that the elongated bolt or screw may have a good chance to be scrapped or rubbed by the end cap and may be easily and quickly worn out after use.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional end caps or dust caps or end deflectors for the ball screw devices.